What I Learned from My Editor: Surprising Fixes to Strengthen Any Manuscript

From Edie: Discover surprising editing tips that transformed Ane's 14th book—practical lessons to tighten prose, avoid common pitfalls, and elevate your writing.

What I Learned from My Editor: Surprising Fixes to Strengthen Any Manuscript

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

A letter from my new editor was an eye-opener. This was my 14th book being published, but I was with a new publisher. Items surprising me the most were small things, but they made my writing and my story flow better. 

Now, I find I avoid some of those problems as I write instead of afterwards, and they're becoming habit—always a good thing. 

Martha Had ADHD—and So Do I: Finding Peace in a Distracted Writing Life

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

Poor Martha. In Luke 10:38-42 Jesus admonished her to be more like Mary and find a balance between her service and spiritual focus. Yet everything distracted her. The more I read about Martha, the more I'm convinced she was ADHD. 

Think about it. The Master and all his disciples and entourage descend on her home. Yikes! She's expected to feed them all with no advance warning? She runs to the pantry, quickly grabbing what she needed to fill all those bellies.

20 Things I've Never Done as a Writer … Or Have I?

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

There are lots of posts in cyberworld, of things you've done or never done. I decided to play with that. 

1. Killed a character: I've never killed one. I don't write suspense. Don't get me wrong, I've put a couple in jail, but no real bloodshed.

2. Gotten a 1-star review: I've had a few, not too many. I know fiction is 100% subjective, and there's no counting for taste. I'll stop there without any snarky remarks (although I have plenty in my arsenal). 

The Answer to Your Writing Struggles is Blowin' in the Wind

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

One day, it was windy here in Sugar Hill. Really windy. I had asked my music minister to pick up a 4'x8' sheet of closed-cell Styrofoam and some lumber at Home Depot to make a stage prop for a drama production. After all, he's the one who asked me to build the prop, and he had the pick-up truck.

Closed-cell Styrofoam, for those who don't know, is used in building houses. It's great for lightweight sets and props. I told him he could wait until next week, so don't blame me. 

He's the one who decided to pick it up on Thursday. In the wind. 

What Do You Do When You Lose a Writing Contest?

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

You kick the cabinets.

You whack the tops off your roses.

You burn the bacon.

You kick the cat … well maybe not this one. But you'd like to when they raise their smug eyes to yours. You know they're calling you a loser. But cats will do that even if you win. 

The thing is, we all get a little defensive about our babies, even if you have seasoned rhino skin. You need to release some of the angst, let off some of the steam before you blow. Then you can go back and analyze why you lost the contest or agent or contract.

Let's face it, nobody wins all the time. Besides, we're in a business that is highly subjective. So what do you do?

Characterization: Going Deeper with the Characters You Write Through Listening

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I recently read an eye-opening blog about levels of listening, Crafting Characters Using the 7 Types of Listening—eye-opening because I hadn't fully examined that trait in characters.

As a theatrical director, I've seen scripts that made me laugh because the characters didn't listen/hear each other, and the dialogue had the characters talking over one another. 

What a great trait to give a character for humor. But what about the other kinds of listening? Right now, I'm writing a character who has made a couple of vague responses to my Main Character. What if I made this a trait she employs for to get around problems? 

The levels of listening are:

• 1. Not listening (ignoring)

• 2. Pretend to listen (passive)

• 3. Partly listening (selective—see your kids here?)

• 4. Focused listening (attentive)

• 5. Interpretive listening (understanding beyond the words)

• 6. Ineractive listening (responsive)

• 7. Engaged listening (emphatic & transformational)

For writing fiction, all listening levels can be used for our advantage when creating characters: 

Levels 1-3 create conflict.

Level 4 creates either peace or tension. The listener focuses in, eyes narrowing. The speaker falters … BINGO. Tension. 

Level 5 is what most of us do when we eavesdrop. We interpret—right or wrong—what the speaker means. This is useful for and in fiction. 

What if a character is told to leave but interprets is as "get out of my life" and acts according to their interpretation? Instant conflict.

Levels 6-7 are what most writers incorporate in dialogue. We show all the characters active and engaged in conversation. But think what great results could come from using the others.

I know I'm going to play around with some scenes using the various levels then compare the outcomes.

Join the conversation. Have you used any of these various levels of listening in your work? How has it affected the scene?

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Characterization: Going Deeper with the Characters You Write Through Listening from @AneMulligan on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Ane Mulligan lives life from a director’s chair, both in theatre and at her desk creating novels. Entranced with story by age three, at five she saw PETER PAN onstage and was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. One day, her passions collided, and an award-winning, bestselling novelist emerged. She believes chocolate and coffee are two of the four major food groups and lives in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, The Write Conversation, and Blue Ridge Conference Blog.

In God's Time: The Rhythm of a Writer’s Journey

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

When I started writing novels, I was already a published playwright. I knew … uh, learned how to write realistic dialogue. I had a good idea for Biblical novel. I was absolutely sure it would be published. After all, what's not to love about a good Biblical novel?

A lot apparently. I learned that dialogue isn't all I needed to know, and at that time, Biblical novels weren't selling—or being picked up by publishers.

So, I settled in to learn. Along the way, I developed a library of writing books. I read them and applied what I learned. I developed relationships with other writers, some of whom became close friends and critique partners. One has been a CP since the early 2000s. 

Paint Your Story

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

Colors affect us in many ways. That’s terrific if you’re writing a picture book or a coffee table book about art, food, or travel. But how can you use it on the written page to evoke an emotional response? 

Sounds and smells summon memories and emotional responses, depending on the original event. Colors can do the same. We describe spaces our characters enter, so incorporate color to convey the mood or ground another character's emotional response.

What This Author Wants for Christmas

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and all my shopping is done. I braved the mall early in the month and already it was a zoo. The presents I give are so different from a few decades ago—all right SEVERAL decades ago. Then it was toys and clothes. Now, it's candy, books, and Amazon cards.

Not as much fun but more practical. 

Newsletters: A Writer's Best Marketing Tool

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

Newsletters are touted as a writers best marketing tool. Why? Because the people who sign up to receive your newsletter are fans. They like your books. Especially with today's rules and regs about newsletters, your followers have to jump through a hoop or two to get on your subscriber list. 

Before we go any further, We need to make clear that you should use a newsletter service. If you create a list of emails and send your newsletter to those people without using a service, that is no longer legal. It doesn't allow for unsubscribing. Be sure you're compliant. There are many services that are free for up to about 1,500-2,000 subscribers.

When Writing in Deep POV Should I Use First or Third Person?

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I started writing my first book in 3rd person. My first 4 published books were in 3rd person. I learned to write in deep POV, taking my readers inside my character's head, and allowing them to go on the journey with him or her. 

A Few of My Favorite Things—Tips and Tools for Writers

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

Go ahead, admit it. I've got you singing, right? But these favorite things are the ones I'm forever gathering—new tips and tools for my writer's toolbox. 

I don't think I'll ever "arrive" at a place where I don't need continual education. Lately though, I find I'm incorporating many of these new ways of writing into the first draft of a WIP. 

That delights me. It means they’ve become natural to me like using a noun and a verb in a sentence. I used to work hard at incorporating those nuances in editing. 

A Writer Looks at This Crazy Language Called English

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

The English language—which isn't really English, it's American—is screwy. There I've said it. First we have this rule: I before E, except after C … except when it isn't. Huh? 

Consider This … When Coming Up with Character Traits for Characters in Your Novel

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

The blog title caught my eye. It mentioned introverts and HSPs. I am definitely not an introvert, although the longer I write, I find I'm taking on some introverted characteristics—or is it because I prefer to be with my characters? But I digress. 

A Baby-Boomer Writer In a Techie’s World

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

Are drivers getting more aggressive, operating their vehicles with an attitude more appropriate for a boxing ring? Is it just me? Here is Sugar Hill, they're still friendly—not quite so aggressive. If I have someone cut me off, I figure it's somebody's relative from Atlanta.

Behavior aside, I have to scratch my head wondering if some of them got their driver's license from a Cracker Jack box. Left turns from the right lane and vice versa? We won't even talk about road rage.

6 Things To Do When You Absolutely Can't Write

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I'm stuck. No, not with writer's block. I'm waiting for cataract surgery. Those rascally buggers came on fast and furious. One day in December I could see, and within a week, my vision was so blurry, I had to use my readers to see distance. Yikes!

To make a long story short, I had to wait 3 months to see the eye doctor. Once she recommended surgery, the surgeon called me within a week. But my surgery would be another 2 months away.

I could manage an hour or so of close work per day. If I pushed for more, a massive headache was my reward. Because I was in editing, I had to use my available time for edits.

All that to say there was no writing time. My WIP sat on my laptop in lonely abandonment. 

The Characters We Write Must Have Traits, Habits, and Flaws

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I'm a people watcher. I'm sure most of you who are writers do the same. I pick up numerous character traits that way. I even read a cartoon the other day containing a terrific character trait, and I knew it would be perfect for one of my characters in my WIP. 

I keep a list of those I like—both good, bad, funny, and unusual traits. I've gathered these from people I know, things I've seen people do when I'm out and about. I've listed some but I have compiled an exhaustive list for me to choose my characters' traits. Here are a few of those.

How Does a Writer Find Stories

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

In a Facebook group I'm in, one of the members asked how we all find our stories. It's revealed some interesting ways. 

Tips for Writing Good Dialogue

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I cut my writerly teeth on dialogue as a script writer for stage plays and sermon-starters. I didn’t add directions or interpretation. I left that up to the director. Of course at that time, I was the director, but that’s neither here nor there. 

In the beginning when I gave the script to the actors, what they said was different from how I’d written it. Not in content but in delivery. Since I liked what I heard, I noted the changes in my scripts. Because of those actors, I learned very quickly to write realistic dialogue, which served me well when I started writing novels.

5 Tips to Effectively Juggle Writing Projects

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I can’t juggle. Oranges, lemons, it doesn’t matter. They all fall to the floor. I tried grapes, erroneously thinking since they are smaller, I could catch them easier. Wrong. Believe me, I’ve practiced, until the dog started chasing after the grapes. Those are bad for pups, so I gave up my bid for a career in the circus to focus on something I can juggle.

Writing projects.